Monterey Bay Sportfishing
Old Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey · near Monterey · Central Coast
Fishing
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Best season
- Rockfish/lingcod Apr–Dec; salmon spring–summer when open; Dungeness crab Nov–spring
Permits and booking
- Licence required
- Yes
- Licence detail
- CA license (16+) required on boats; landings sell 1-day licenses. Note: CA ocean salmon is quota-managed and can close in-season — treat it as a bonus.
What is here
- Features
- Deep submarine canyon close to shore · Half-day trips · Whale-watch combos · Chris' Fishing Trips & J&M landings
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Fishing detail
- Water type
- ocean-boat
- Water
- salt
- Methods
- Party/charter boat · Jigging · Bait fishing · Trolling · Deep-drop
- Boat
- boat
- Target species
- Rockfish · Lingcod · Dungeness crab · Chinook salmon (season-dependent)
- Intl tip
- Book a full-day rockfish/lingcod trip rather than banking on salmon — salmon days can be cancelled in-season. Bring layers; the bay is cold and foggy even in summer.
The guide
Monterey is the central coast's marquee saltwater launch point: the Monterey Submarine Canyon plunges to great depth barely a m…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Monterey Bay Sportfishing — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 36.6055, -121.8912